It was a pass, and a try, that would deserve to win any derby. Sean O'Loughlin, the Wigan captain who had already stretched over for the opening score, was set free just inside the St Helens half, ran diagonally across the field as he searched for support, and "just saw Sarge [Dan Sarginson, the right wing] in the corner of my eye".

It took a special player to throw that pass, a good 20 metres to his weaker right side, without breaking stride. The ball landed in Sarginson's and Matty Smith curled over a touchline conversion to extend Wigan's lead to 12-6. But O'Loughlin's work was far from done.

It is the steel and phenomenal fitness he combines with that skill, as a formidably tough defender, that marks him out as one of the best players of the Super League era and will surely see him remembered among the finest in the proud history of the Wigan club.

He continued to set an inspiring lead as they withstood the inevitable fightback, quick-fire tries from Jordan Turner and Tommy Makinson with his second reducing the deficit to 18-14, to run out surprisingly comfortable winners, keeping the previously unbeaten league leaders scoreless in the second half. "It's special, coming here and ending their 100% record," O'Loughlin said as he headed back to a jubilant dressing room after accepting the congratulations of equally buoyant Wigan supporters.

"I've just said to him in the shower room, he never ceases to amaze me," the coach, Shaun Wane, said of his fellow Wiganer. "He's an outstanding captain, he's a good bloke, he can drink, he can do everything. I'd better not say any more about that."

The Saints coach, Nathan Brown, said: "Sean O'Loughlin just took us to school today. He showed why he's one of the best players in the world. That's why Waney just saves him for the big games if his body's struggling." The former Wigan great Martin Offiah was moved to tweet that O'Loughlin is now as important to the club as his brother-in-law, Andy Farrell, became a decade or so ago. Now 31, and with 326 appearances for his hometown club, O'Loughlin must already be a strong contender to claim the Man of Steel award that has somehow eluded him, as with that other fine Super League loose forward Kevin Sinfield, for the past decade.

O'Loughlin would doubtless be embarrassed by all the acclaim after such an admirable team performance. The England second-row Liam Farrell scored their third and fourth tries, with his sharp reaction in catching a deflection on each occasion suggesting he would be a very good slip fielder in another summer game.

Smith collected 13 points against his former club, landing six goals from as many attempts before chipping over a late drop.

Scott Taylor, Michael McIlorum and Ben Flower established front-row dominance and John Bateman underlined his versatility by switching from the second-row to left-centre and sending the wiry young wing Joe Burgess galloping clear for the fifth Wigan try that sealed their win.

"For me as a Wigan bloke to come here and win as comfortably as that, I can't tell you how good it feels," Wane said. "It's a Super League game not a cup final or anything but Christ it's an enjoyable one."

Even injuries to Iain Thornley, Eddy Pettybourne and Flower should not prove too damaging, with home games against Bradford on Monday and then Hunslet in the Challenge Cup next weekend. In contrast, Saints have to cope with the emotion of another derby at Widnes, followed by the tie of the fifth round at Leeds. "We've got to start learning some lessons," said Brown.